The Boy Next Door
by evielinn
Summary: Gwen likes being alone, at the expense of her friends urging her to get a boyfriend, but maybe a new and totally cute neighbor can change her mind. GwenXTrent. Rated T just in case. BxG, DxC in later chapters. R&R!
1. Gwen Hates Winter

_Stupid snow.._ Gwen thought to herself as she dug her shovel into the mound of white powder at the edge of the driveway.

There had to be at least two and a half feet of snow on the ground. Yesterday was beautiful, the sun was shining, a cool breeze flowed through the air, and best of all- there was no snow. But somewhere between last night and early this morning, Winter reared it's ugly head and decided to plague the town with snow, and lots of it. Gwen hated the Winter, she hated the snow, and she hated shoveling.

"WHY DO I ALWAYS GET STUCK WITH THIS JOB EVERY WINTER?!" She exclaimed to herself through clenched teeth. In her fit of anger, she somehow threw the snow off the shovel at an odd angle, and it flew onto her head and face. She shuddered to herself at the freezing powder covering her face, and spit furiously to get it out of her mouth.

"UGH!" She yelled, frustrated. She stuck the shovel in the small snowbank She had created from previous scoops, and took her black snow hat off for a moment, and shook out her hair. Snowflakes covered her thick black and teal hair, spotting it white. She placed her hat back on, and leaned her arms on top of the handle of the shovel. She let out an miserable sigh, and placed her head on her folded arms.

Every Winter it was the same. Gwen's mother would wake her up extra early, placing her Winter clothing on the end of the bed, and she would tell her to shovel the driveway. Not exactly the way Gwen liked to spend snow days, she'd much rather sleep in, stay in my pajamas all day, and watch television all hours of the day. But of course, She was the one stuck shoveling the driveway, and end up cold, wet, and miserable for the rest of the day.

She lifted her head from the shovel, and lifted it from the snowbank. She dug under the thick snow, and started the process again: Dig, lift, throw. With each heavy lift of the snow, She let out a frustrated moan, or on occassion, uttering words that her mother would wash her mouth out with soap for if she heard her daughter. She took one glove off to wipe the sweat from her forehead. That was the one thing she hated more than shoveling itself; being so bundled up to the point of sweating profusely. She heard the living room window open, and looked up to see her mother's face in the window.

"Gwen, how's the driveway coming, sweetheart?" Her mother called, a big smile on her face.

"It's good, Mom. I'm pretty tired though." She called back, leaning on the shovel again.

"Well finish up, and I'll make you some hot chocolate when you come back inside!" She called, then closed the window. She laughed a little to herself. Hot chocolate wasn't much of a reward for shoveling the hell-hole of a driveway, but it was always nice to warm up after being in the cold for too long. As she continued her chore, she continued the load groans and curse words as she did before. Eventually, she wore herself out, and needed a little break. She sat down in the snow, and took off her hat, setting the shovel aside.

"Hey," She heard a voice call from a short distance away. She turned in the direction of the voice.

Behind her was a boy, who looked about the same age as herself. He had messy black hair, and wore a dark green winter coat. He had really nice eyes, or so she noticed. He was holding a shovel as well, and he approached her.

"Do I know you?" Gwen asked, looking up.

"I just moved in across the street, I'm Trent." The boy stated, holding out his hand. She took his hand, and he helped her too my feet.

"Gwen." She stated back, wiping the snow off her legs. "So what are you doing here?" She asked.

"I could hear you from my kitchen window..you know...yelling..._things_." He explained, laughing at the end of his sentence.

Gwen could feel her cheeks blush. _I didn't realize how loud I was yelling that stuff.. _

"Oh, wow, yeah... Well, I _really_ hate shoveling." She tried to explain, but it was a really lame excuse. Trent laughed.

"Well that's why I came over, it seemed like you could use a little help." He said with a smile. She smiled back.

"That'd be really cool, thanks." She said.

With that, they both began the process of finishing up shoveling the driveway. At first, there was a long silence, and the only sounds were the scraping of the shovels on the pavement, and the small groans and sighs of the two of them struggling to throw the snow into piles on the edge of the yard.

"So," Trent began, breaking the silence. She looked over at him, waiting for him to finish. "What do you do for fun, Gwen?" He asked.

"I don't really do too much," She replied. _Man, I was boring_. Trent laughed.

"Come on, you _have_ to do _something_ for fun." Trent prodded.

"Well, I'm pretty into music, so I guess I listen to it a lot in my spare time." She stated. Trent perked up.

"I'm a pretty big music junkie too. What do you like?" He asked as he threw a lump of snow onto the pile.

"I like a lot of rock stuff, you know. Punk rock, alternative, stuff like that." She replied. He flashed a smile.

"Awesome. I love that stuff too. I don't know a lot of girls who are into it, though." Trent stated. Gwen smiled. It was nice to have someone with the same interests, and who was cool to talk to.

"You have a girlfriend?" She asked. She mentally slapped herself across the forehead. _Smooth, Gwen. What's wrong with you?!_

Trent laughed a bit. "Nah, haven't really met the right kind of girl for me. I guess I'm kind of picky. I'd like a girl who I can just like, chill out with, you know?" He asked.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, I'm the same way." Gwen replied. She could feel my cheeks blush again. _Why was I blushing? I never got this way around any guy before. I was always so laid-back around people, unless I liked them._ _But how could I like Trent? I'd just met him not even an hour ago! But Man, He was good looking! And he was so cool!_ Gwen's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden question.

"Well what do you look for in a guy?" He asked. She started to answer, but stopped abruptly. She stood there, with a puzzled look on her face for a moment, then finished.

"I guess I like guys who like, _get_ me. I'm a pretty complicated person, so it's nice when someone just listens and understands me. Oh, and I absolutely _love_ guys who play guitar." She gushed, with a small giggle at the last statement. A big smile crept across Trent's face. "What?" Gwen asked, feeling like she'd said something embarassing. She blushed, for the millionth time.

"I play guitar." He stated confidently. Gwen smiled and let out a small laugh.

"No way! You any good?" She asked.

"Sure! I've played since I was a kid. It's probably my favorite thing to do." He replied.

"That's so cool! Maybe I could hear you play sometime?" She asked. She looked around. The driveway was cleared. Gwen couldn't believe how fast time flew by. "Oh, it looks like we're done." She stated, placing her shovel aside. She sat down on the pavement, taking off her hat and gloves. Trent did the same, and sat down next to her. They looked at each other with a smile.

"See? Shoveling isn't _so_ bad, especially when you have someone nice to talk to." Trent said, nudging her shoulder with his elbow. Gwen laughed, nudging him back.

"I guess so." She agreed. She heard the living room window open again.

"Gwen! Come on in! I made hot chocolate!" Her mother yelled.

"Be right there!" She called back. Her mother closed the window. She turned back to Trent. "I'm gonna head back inside," She began. Trent nodded, and stood up. He held his hand out to help her up. Gwen stood up with a smile. "So I guess I'll see you around?"

"Definitely. We should hang out sometime soon." He said with a smile. "And you could hear me play, just like you asked."

Gwen smiled. "That sounds great." She said. She looked down and realized they were still holding each other's hands. She blushed and quickly pulled her hand away.

"Nice to meet you, Gwen." Trent said, picking up his shovel and walking toward his house. Gwen stood frozen in place. A smile plastered on her face.

"You too," She said timidly. She turned and walked up to her front door. Before she turned the handle, she looked back across the street. She waved a good-bye to Trent, before She walked into the house, kicking her boots against the doorframe.

She walked into the kitchen, picking up her mug of hot chocolate, and bringing it upstairs to her bedroom. She walked into her room, placing the cocoa on the nightstand, and laid out on her plush bed. The past couple of hours replayed over and over in her head.

_"Definitely. We should hang out sometime soon." He said with a smile. "And you could hear me play, just like you asked."_

She smiled to herself. She hoped that 'sometime soon', came as soon as possible.


	2. Third Wheels

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BE-_

"Uhn...mmm..." Gwen babbled groggily as she shut off her alarm. Her arm fell limp, hanging off the side of the cushy bed. She let out a deep sigh, and slowly lifted her head from the pillow. She sighed as she sat up and stretched every part of her body before she swung my legs over the side of the bed to stand up.

Walking down the hallway to the bathroom, she placed her hand on the wall to keep her balance. She let out an exhausted yawn, turning on the bathroom light as she entered. She looked at her reflection in the mirror as she walked toward the shower.

She walked back down the hallway to her bedroom, towel drying and shaking out her thick hair as she walked. She made her way over to the closet, picking out a white and black striped t-shirt, and a pair of faded black worn-out jeans. She got dressed, and finished up the outfit with a pair of black fingerless gloves and black converse sneakers. After she put on her heavy make-up, her hair air-dried fairly quickly, so she quickly ran a hairbrush through the mess of black and teal.

She made my way downstairs, grabbing a pop-tart out of the pantry, before putting on her jacket to get ready to leave. No one else in the house was awake, which Gwen was fairly used to. She slipped on a heavy navy blue Winter jacket, and threw on a tan messenger bag, making her way outside to the car. Gwen loved that thing, more than she probably should have. It was a little black Volvo, with a medium-sized dent in the side from the previous owner. She got in, and drove off to school.

Gwen walked into the big doors of the high school. The school was enormous, with about 900 or so kids currently attending. It held grades 9-12, and had three floors. She walked over to her usual morning hangout- on the left side of the staircase leading up to the library in the atrium. A few of her friends were already sitting there, and waved her over.

"Morning sunshine!" Bridgette chimed. She was always so positive in the morning, and every other hour of the day in general. She was pretty much everything Gwen wasn't, but not in a bad way. Their opposite personalities went together well, which is what made the two such good friends. She was currently seated next to her boyfriend of a year and a half, Geoff, and they were holding hands. Geoff was basically Bridgette, except in male form. Gwen couldn't understand how two people so much alike could take each other for such a long period of time, but hey, who was she to judge? She was alone.

"Morning, Bridge." Gwen said with a long yawn. She sat down on the step below Bridgette and Geoff, and took the pop-tart out of her bag. Not much of a breakfast, but it got her through the day.

"So Geoff and I were talking, and he has this friend, and we were wondering if you wanted to come hang out with all three of us sometime." Bridgette explained hopefully. Gwen let out a small laugh, muffled by chewing on the pop-tart.

"Are you trying to set me up on a date, Bridge?" Gwen asked with a sly smile.

"_Mayyyyy-_Beee!" She said with a big smile on her face. Gwen shook her head.

"Thanks, but I think I'm all set for now." Gwen replied. Bridgette pouted, sticking out her bottom lip as far as she could. "Come on, you know how I am. I'm just not that interested in a boyfriend right now." She reminded.

"I know, but it's no fun for you hanging out with us when you don't have someone for yourself! I feel bad making you the third wheel all the time." Bridgette explained. Gwen shrugged. By now, another one of Gwen's friends, Courtney, had arrived, and seated herself beside her.

"Gwen, are they trying to set you up with another one of Geoff's party boys again?" Courtney asked, taking off her black pea coat. Gwen nodded, and Courtney rolled her eyes, turning to Bridgette and Geoff. "You guys really need to stop, I think you've scarred her for life with some of the guys you've set her up with!" Courtney joked. They all shared a laugh.

"I don't mind, really. It's just as fun hanging out with you guys, with or without a boyfriend of my own." Gwen assured Bridgette. She sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Really, Bridge, it's fine!" She repeated.

"Alright, alright. But you just wait, we'll find you someone, Gwen. And you too, Courtney, you need a boyfriend to loosen you up a bit." Bridgette teased. Courtney playfully hit Bridgette in the head.

"I don't need a boyfriend. I don't need distractions like that in my life, I'm too busy." Courtney said, folding her arms. The remaining trio of friends laughed. Courtney really was too uptight.

"Hey Gwen!"

She looked up to where she heard the voice call. Her eyes landed on a familiar face. It was Trent, waving as he approached the stairs.

"Hey," Gwen said back. Everyone looked at him curiously. "Guys, this is Trent, he just moved in across the street from me. Trent, this is Courtney, Bridgette, and Geoff." Everyone exchanged a 'hello, how are you?', when suddenly the bell rang. The friends all stood up.

"Nice to meet all of you, and nice to see you, Gwen. I'll see you guys later." Trent stated, walking toward the first flight of stairs. Bridgette and Geoff made their way into the Library, while Courtney walked with Gwen to the math wing up the other flight of stairs across the atrium.

"So," She began. Gwen looked over at her friend. "Trent's pretty _cute_, huh?" Courtney asked, nudging her in the side. She pushed her elbow away.

"Don't pull and Bridgette on me, I'm not interested, remember?" Gwen stated. Courtney sighed.

"Whatever you say, Gwen. You so like him!" Courtney said, turning into her classroom.

Gwen waved goodbye, and made her way to her class a few rooms down, a warm blush across her cheeks.

_"You so like him!"_

_Maybe.._ Gwen thought to herself, smiling as she turned into the doorway of her math class.


	3. Partners

**A/N: I am SOO sorry for taking so long to update! I've been so busy with getting prepared for mid-terms, getting my community service done (I'd rather not go to juvy :X), and my 5 month anniversary with my boyfriend was on Tuesday, so I've been super busy! One thing I edited: I changed the story so that it's no longer in Gwen's POV. It got way too hard to continue writing like that. So anyway, here's chapter 3! I'm pretty much done writing chapter four, so expect an update soon! Enjoy! :)**

It was lunchtime. Gwen walked into the cafeteria, and made her way over to her usual table. It was in the far corner of the cafeteria, near a large window looking over the parking lot. Bridgette and Geoff were already there, all over each other, as usual. She took her seat next to Bridgette, who greeted Gwen in her always cheerful voice.

"So how awful was that chemistry test third period?" Bridgette asked. Gwen let out a scoff and rolled her eyes.

"Brutal! I'm not sure if I even passed!" She exclaimed, remembering how badly she thought she had done on the said test. She looked up when she heard a chair on the opposite side of the table pull out. It was Courtney, and if her glare could kill, everyone at the table would have dropped dead right then and there. She sat down, and dropped her head onto the tabletop. She folded her arms around her head and sighed.

"UGH!" Courtney exclaimed, muffled by her arms. Bridgette, Geoff, and Gwen exchanged glances and a few shrugs. The three of them huddled on their side of the table.

"What's wrong with her?" Gwen whispered to Bridgette.

"I have no idea. Do you know, Geoff?" She asked, looking at her boyfriend.

"Why would I know what's up with her?" Geoff asked. Bridgette shrugged. They broke out of their huddle.

"What's up, Courtney?" Gwen asked. Courtney slowly lifted her head from the table, and stared for a moment.

"I'll tell you what's wrong, I have-" She started to speak, when someone joined the table.

"Hey guys." Trent stated, taking a seat next to Geoff. He looked over at Courtney. "What's up with her?" He whispered, gesturing to Courtney.

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Geoff whispered back. Trent nodded.

"Like I was saying, I got a major english project assigned today!" Courtney exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table. Gwen raised an eyebrow.

"And? You have straight A's. What do you have to worry about?" Gwen asked, taking a bite of her salad. Courtney stood up, placing her hands on the table on either side of her

"You want to know what I have to worry about?!" She asked angrily. Before any of the others could speak, an arm was slung around Courtney's shoulders, and her eyes grew wide. She slowly turned her head to the side, coming face to face with a pair of teal eyes, and a face full of piercings.

"Hey, Princess." He stated with a smirk. Courtney flung his arm off of her shoulders, and pushed him away.

"UGH! Duncan! You're such a pig!" Courtney exclaimed, wiping her hands on her peach colored sweatshirt. The four friends on the opposite side of the table exchanged glances again, not quite knowing what to say given the current situation. "This! This is what I have to worry about!" Courtney exclaimed, pointing to Duncan.

"Ah, was she telling all of you the good news?" Duncan asked. "We're partners for an english project." He stated proudly, placing an arm around Courtney again, and pulling her closer to him. She shrieked, throwing weak punches at his chest. Duncan just laughed, taking a seat next to Courtney. Courtney hesitantly sat down, scooting her chair away from him.

It was easy to understand why Courtney was so upset. Duncan wasn't exactly the school-oriented type of person. He'd been to juvy, slacked off in class, and was constantly getting into trouble, in _and_ out of school. He was basically the anti-Courtney.

"So," Bridgette began, trying to ease the tension at the table. Gwen looked down and ate her salad. Trent twirled his fork in his spaghetti, while Geoff fiddled around with his hat. Courtney had her arms folded, turned away from Duncan, while he was the only one looking at Bridgette. "Um, what's everyone doing today?" She finished with a weak laugh. No one answered. "Tough crowd." She stated, poking around on her lunch tray. The group sat in silence, until the bell rang, and Courtney couldn't have walked out any faster if she tried.

The group of friends, and Duncan, made their way out of the cafeteria. As they walked, the group got smaller with every classroom they passed that belonged to each of them. Bridgette went off to Calculus, and Geoff to cooking class. The remaining foursome approached the few foreign language rooms, where Trent and Gwen were to go to French class. As Gwen turned to arrive in her class, Courtney grabbed her arm.

"No! Don't leave me with that..._thing!_" Courtney exclaimed with a disgusted look.

"Sorry, Court. But we're gonna be late. Good luck!" Gwen stated, walking into French with Trent following behind.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Princess." Duncan stated.

Courtney let out a groan, picking up her pace. She continued walking down the hallway, trying to ignore the delinquent following her. Unfortunately, within a few seconds, Courtney felt an arm around her shoulders, and she knew she had to talk to him.

"What do you want, Duncan?" She asked, annoyed. He laughed.

"Well since we're partners and all, I figured we should set a day to work on this project together. And knowing you, you most likely want to get an early start Miss I-Get-Straight-A's-All-The-Time." Duncan replied, Courtney rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't spend any time alone with you if it was the last thing I ever did!" Courtney exclaimed.

"Ooh, harsh. I've heard much worse, though." Duncan teased, patting her on the shoulder. By this time, Courtney had completely forgotten that his arm was still around her. She pushed it off, maintaining some distance between the two of them.

"Just let me do all the work, you can put your name on it or something. That way, I never have to spend a moment alone with you." Courtney suggested.

"Well there's one problem with that. That old hag of an english teacher knows the quality of my work. If she sees good quality work on this, she'll know I had nothing to do with it. And guess what that means, Princess? You fail the class." Duncan replied, poking her in the shoulder.

They'd been walking for quite some time now, and Courtney could see her history classroom approaching quickly. She stopped walking, as did Duncan. She looked around for a moment, then pulled him by his shirt into an empty hallway nearby.

"A little aggressive, huh Princess? I dig it." Duncan stated with a smirk. Courtney slapped him across the face, and he laughed.

"Shut up!" Courtney exclaimed. "Listen. My house, tomorrow afternoon, right after school. I'll drive. Got it?" Courtney stated. Duncan smirked again.

"Got it, sweetheart." Duncan replied with a wink. Courtney scoffed, and walked into her classroom.

"She totally wants me." Duncan said to himself, walking down the hallway with a confident smile.

**A/N: So there you have it. I'm pretty happy with the way the story is going, and I appreciate every review I got! Thanks so much! You guys are awesome :) So do what you do best, and REVIEW!**

**-Evie**


	4. Catch A Ride

**A/N: I'M BACK!!! WOO-HOO!! **

**So here's the low-down: The last half of senior year was kicking my butt, so I really needed to focus on my schoolwork. So, I had to take a break from writing *tear* and that's why this story was on hiatus. That, along with some terrible writer's block, ugh. But now I've graduated and have plently of free time (that is, until I go to college in January). I've got lot's of ideas for this story, and might possibly have another chapter up tonight, if not tomorrow afternoon. This is kind of just a filler to move the story along, but it's still important! So ENJOY!! (:**

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As the last bell of the school day rang, the students erupted from the building. It had snowed again that day, much to the dismay of the many students who had to drive in it. They made their way to the parking lot, brushing snow off their windshields and windows.

Gwen walked out into the parking lot, sighing at the sight of her car, covered in a thin sheet of snow. She opened the back door of her car, throwing her bag into the backseat. She reached under the driver's seat, taking out a scraper, and slammed the door shut. She began the task of cleaning off her windows and windshield, like the others around her.

"Gwen!"

Gwen turned to see Trent running toward her. She smiled and stopped scraping her car as he made his way over.

"Gwen! I'm glad I caught you before you left." Trent stated.

"I'm not leaving anytime soon. Incase you didn't notice, there's a snowbank on my windshield." Gwen joked, brushing the layer of white powder off of her car.

"Here, I'll help you." Trent said, setting his backpack on the ground. He began wiping the snow off of the other side of the windshield with the sleeve of his jacket.

"So what was so urgent that you had to catch me?" Gwen asked, scraping the last of the snow off the car. Trent shook his sleeve clean of snow.

"Feel free to say no, but I was hoping I could catch a ride home with you. My mom can't make it because the roads aren't cleared yet." Trent asked timidly. Gwen let out a small giggle.

"It's no problem. And don't be afraid to ask, really. You live next door." Gwen replied with a smile. Trent smiled back, picked up his bag, and opened the passenger side of the car. Gwen got in the driver's seat, throwing the scraper into the backseat. The Volvo started up, blowing warm heat through the car, much to the enjoyment of the two teens inside.

Gwen pulled onto the main road, making sure to drive slowly due to the un-plowed roads.

"So do you drive at all?" Gwen asked, focusing on the slippery road ahead of her.

"A car, not yet. But who needs one when you've got your motorcycle license?" Trent replied excitedly. Gwen let out a small laugh and smiled.

"That's awesome! You should show me sometime." Gwen suggested.

"Same day you hear me play guitar, I suppose." Trent said, turning to Gwen with a smile.

"Definitely." She stated. "You mind turning the radio on? It's too quiet in here." Gwen asked. Trent leaned down to the stereo, looking through the multitude of buttons and knobs. He pressed the number 1, which turned on a pre-set station. The music began bumping through the speakers.

"I love this song!" The two said almost simultaneously.

"No way! This is my favorite song." Trent stated, turning the volume up. He began to softly sing the lyrics, tapping his hands on his lap to the rhythm.

_Beauty queen of only eighteen  
She had some trouble with herself  
He was always there to help her  
She always belonged to someone else  
_

Gwen giggled as she listened to Trent singing. Even as softly as he was singing, he sounded great. Gwen wondered how he would sound paired with his guitar.

_  
I drove for miles and miles  
And wound up at your door  
I've had you so many times but somehow  
I want more_

Gwen joined in at the chorus, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.

_I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
She will be loved_

_Tap on my window knock on my door  
I want to make you feel beautiful  
I know I tend to get so insecure  
It doesn't matter anymore_

The two laughed together, dancing in their seats to the music.

_It's not always rainbows and butterflies  
It's compromise that moves us along, yeah  
My heart is full and my door's always open  
You can come anytime you want_

_I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved_

As the bridge of the song approached, Gwen raised her voice, belting out the lyrics._  
_

_I know where you hide  
Alone in your car  
Know all of the things that make you who you are  
I know that goodbye means nothing at all  
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls_

_Tap on my window knock on my door  
I want to make you feel beautiful_

Trent sang softly, as he looked over at Gwen, who was completely absorbed in the music. He hadn't quite met a girl like Gwen, someone who could let loose and not be embarassed about herself. And he liked it.

_I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved_

As the song ended, they approached their street. Gwen rolled the car to a stop along the side of the road in between their houses, and they stepped out of the car. She sighed as she looked over at her own house. The driveway was covered in snow, once again, and she knew she would be the one outside getting rid of it.

"Looks like I'll be busy all night." Gwen said sarcastically, leaning on her car. Trent joined her, leaning on the hood next to her. The two shared a laugh.

"Maybe not if you had some help.." Trent stated, smiling at Gwen. She smiled back.

"You are a life saver!" Gwen exclaimed, pulling Trent into a bear-hug. Upon realizing her actions, she quickly released Trent, blushing as she stepped away. Trent smiled.

"Let's get to work, shall we?" He asked, making his way over to her driveway.

"We shall." Gwen replied, walking beside him.

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**A/N: And that song would be 'She Will Be Loved' by Maroon 5. Sooo? What did you think? I know it's nothing impressive, but I promise it gets better! I've got a lot of ideas working in my head right now. So do what you do best and REVIEW! :D**

**-Evie**


	5. Loosen Up

**A/N: Here it is, Chapter 5. I know it's kind of short, but I needed to write it so it could flow into the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who has given me all the positive reviews! You guys are the reason I keep writing. (: Enjoy!**

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It had been about two weeks since Trent had moved in, and he and Gwen had become fast friends. She gave him a ride to and from school daily, where they often bonded over their favorite music on the radio. Trent had become good friends with Geoff, Bridgette, and Courtney. Trent had even formed a small friendship with Duncan, considering he was around a lot because of his project with Courtney.

The day was almost over, and Gwen was arriving to her last class of the day. Fortunately for her, it was also her favorite: Art.

Gwen made her way over to one of the long, tan art tables in the back of the room. The table was next to a set of two windows that went from floor to ceiling, letting a lot of natural light into the room. She sat down and opened her bag, pulling out a thick sketchbook and a pack of charcoal pencils. She started scribbling in her sketchbook furiously, like always. Gwen was well-known as an artist around school. Her work hung in many of the hallways throughout the building.

Bridgette walked to the back of the room, and threw her bag onto the table, taking a seat next to Gwen. Gwen was so absorbed in her drawing that she barely noticed the blonde surfer girl arriving next to her.

"What are you drawing?" Bridgette asked, leaning over toward Gwen. Gwen stopped drawing for a moment, and pushed the sketchbook over toward Bridgette. On the page of the sketchbook was a drawing that was about half-way done. From what Bridgette could see, it was a boy and a girl, sitting on the hood of a car, with music notes flying all around them.

Bridgette's eyes widened at the picture, and all of it's intricate detail. "This is incredible!"

Gwen took the sketchbook back, returning to her drawing. "Thanks, it's nothing too special."

The clicking of heels could be heard coming into the room, and stopped as they approached the table that was occupied by Gwen and Bridgette. A bag was thrown angrily onto the table, causing both girls to nearly jump out of their seats. It was Courtney, visibly irritated, who took her seat on the opposite side of the table. She folded her arms on the table and placed her head down on top of them. Courtney let out a loud groan, smothered by her arm.

Gwen and Bridgette exchanged glances, trying to decide who would ask Courtney what was wrong. It seemed neither of them dared to ask, until Gwen spoke up.

"So, how's the english project?" Gwen asked, knowing that the subject might be associated with her mood. Gwen was answered with another loud groan. "Not good, huh?"

Courtney lifted her head, and if looks could kill, Gwen would have dropped dead on the spot. Jaw clenched, Courtney rolled her eyes.

"The project isn't the problem, it's that ogre of a partner I'm stuck with!" Courtney answered, flinging her hands in the air.

"It can't be that bad, Court. You only have to wait until next week, then it'll be over with." Bridgette tried to comfort her friend.

"Right, because it's that easy." Courtney snorted back.

"You can't possibly be this angry over a project, what's up?" Gwen asked, pushing her art supplies aside.

Courtney rubbed her temples and sighed. "I made the mistake of telling Duncan that my parents were going on vacation. What I meant by that was that we could work on the project at my house. But NO! He decided that meant 'let's throw a raging party at Courtney's!' And he's already told everyone!" Courtney exclaimed, returning her head to the table, wrapping her arms around her head.

Bridgette and Gwen looked at one another, and shrugged. Bridgette reached out a hand and placed it on Courtney's arm comfortingly.

"Look, Court. Maybe it's not such a bad idea?" Bridgette suggested. Courtney looked up, raising an eyebrow at the blonde.

"She's right. You've been under a lot of stress, maybe a party is just the thing to loosen you up a bit!" Gwen stated, playfully pushing Courtney's arm. Courtney let out a sigh, placing her head in her hand.

"Maybe you're right. I mean there's no way I can cancel the party, nearly everyone has already heard. But promise me you'll both come? I need the support incase it gets out of control." Courtney pleaded. The other two girls laughed.

"Of course we'll be there for you." Gwen replied.

"And we'll get Geoff and Trent to come too! They'll make sure nothing gets out of hand." Bridgette stated reassuringly. Courtney nodded and cracked a small smile.

"Well then. Party at my house this weekend." Courtney stated confidently. The three girls shared a laugh.

"Girls, less laughing, more drawing." The teacher called across the room. The threesome giggled, and began their work.

* * *

**A/N: I'm super excited about writing the party chapter! I have a ton of ideas for it, and they'll really get the story moving along! So tell me what you think! (:**

**-Evie**


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